Magazine pencil



March l, 1938. J. A. VAN NoRsDALL MAGAZINE'PENCIL Filed sept. 27, 1935 Patented Mar. 1', 1938 UNITED STATES PATIENT OFFICE MAGAZINE .PENCIL .lamesA` Van Norsdall, Vancouver, Wash.

Application September 27, 1935, Serial No. 42,479

3 claims. (ci. 12o-17) My invention relates to improvements in means for operating or controlling the propulsive 'mechanism of magazine pencils, and consists in providing at the point lof the pencil barrel, in proximity to the lead, a tapper. This tapper is movable parallelto the axis of the barrel. When it is moved inwardly of the barrel it'releases the propulsive mechanism allowing the llead to emerge from the point ofthe barrel. I'he object of the tapper is to avoid the necessity for shifting the position of the pencil while writing when it is desirable or necessary to manipulate the propulsive mechanism in order to have additional lead emerge from the barrel.

Y In the drawing I illustrate an embodiment of my invention which will serve to explain the principle and construction thereof. Y

In the drawing, Figure l is a side elevation of my invention. 'I'his ligure illustrates the pencil in writing position, with the lead broken at the point of the barrel.

Figure 1A is a side elevation. This figure illustratesa step in the operation of renewing the lead at the point of the barrel after it has been broken.

Figure 2 is a longitudinal sectional view of the invention. Y

Figure 3 is a' section indicated by section line 3-3 in Figure 2.vr

Figure 4 is an enlarged side elevation of the tapper bar removed from the barrel.

In the drawing, numeral I indicates the barrel of a pencil embodying my invention. This barrel is in two sections held together by a nipple 2. The lower end of the barrel terminates in a taper or point 3 in which is an opening 4 to the interior of the barrel. The head or upper end is rounded and closed with the exception of an opening 5 to the interior of the barrel. Nipple 2 is interiorly tapered at each end as indicated by numerals 6 and l, which internal tapers form cams whose purposes will be described later. Mounted within the lower portion of the barrel is the tapper rod S having a flaring lower end 9 situated exterior to such barrel, and a flange I0 at its upper end situated within nipple 2. A longitudinal passage I I extends lengthwise of the tapper rod. The upper end of the rod has a number of radial bores I2 extending from interior passage I I to the exterior, and in these bores seat the balls I3. Tapper rod 8 cannot be pushed entirely into the barrel for the reason that the flare 9 is larger than the opening 4 within which the rod operates. Likewise the upper end cannot be withdrawn from the interior of nipple 2 for the reason that the flange I0 .cannot pass the taperface 'I. Further construction in tapper rod 8 consists of a longitudinal slot I4 over which is disposed a spring member mounted upon the rod.- This Lspring member is inclined to spring 5 away from the rod at its lower end, but is prevented bythe inner tapered wall of tapered end 3 of the barrel. The lower end of the spring Ahas a tooth I6 `directed toward the interior of the tapper rod. .l0 Y VCooperating with tapper'rod is a-release rod |"I .which is seated coaxially inthe barrel with its upper end projecting therefrom through the passage 5. The lower end has a flange I8 and terminates within nipple 2'bel0w seat 6, which I5 seat prevents removal of the anged portion from the nipple. Extending longitudinally of rod I1 is a substantially elongated slot I9 which opens out fromopposite sides of said rod. Penetrating the bottom of the rod and extending to and communicating with slot I9 is a passage 20 which is coaxial with passage' II in rod 8. Operating within passage II and passage 2D and to a considerable extent in slot I9 is a propeller bar 2| terminating at its upper kend in a T head 22 25 projecting from the lateral openings of such slot I9. Between `the T head and the upper end of the barrel and coiled about rod I'I is an expansion .coil spring 23 which -urges Vbar :2| downwardly. In the lower end of the bar are a 30 number of radial openings 24 leading torpassage 2|) from the exterior which constitute seats for balls 25. Between the flanged ends I0 and I8 and coiled about bar 2| is an expansion coil spring 26 urging members Il) and I'I apart and 3 causing balls I3 and 25 to engage cams I and 6 respectively and be moved inwardly in their respective seats until they engage the bar 2|.

In operation a lead 30 is inserted into the passage of member 8, at the same time member I'I is pressed downwardly by pressing upon its exterior end 29. The latter movementlowers the balls 25 below cam 6 allowing them to emerge somewhat from their seats 24. Bar 2| is thus released allowing it to be raised upon insertion of lead 30. After insertion of the lead member is released and further upward movement of bar 2| is restrained by reason of the fact that upon release of member I1 it is moved upwardly by spring 26, causing the balls I3 to engage cam 5 6 which moves them toward and into gripping engagement with bar 2|. Upward movement of bar 2| compresses spring 23. The urge of the spring is to expand and unresisted would move bar 2| downward, but this is prevented by fric- 5 tionally engaging balls I3. 'he'se balls are pressed against bar 2| by cam 1 as tapper rod 8 is urged downwardly by spring 26. Upward movement of tapper rod 8 releases the balls |3 somewhat as they are allowed to move away from such bar 2|. Concisely, balls 215 prevent upward movement of bar 2| by a friction grip which is released by downward movement of rod Il, and balls I3 prevent downward movement of bar 2| by a friction grip which is released by an upward movement of rod 8. The tooth I6 serves to prevent lead 30 dropping from passage in the event it is somewhat loose therein by biting into such lead, this it does only when tapper rod 8 is in lowered position as the inclined walls interiorly of end 3 serve as a cam forcing the spring I inwardly when the tapper rod is lowered, and permitting the spring to move outwardly and the tooth to disengage the lead when the tapper rod is raised.

Often in writing with `a magazine pencil the lead is broken necessitating shifting such pencil in order to manipulate control means for ejecting additional lead. Shifting is not required in the present pencil. This is illustrated in Figures l and 1A. In the rst gure the projecting lead has been broken as shown at 3|. The person employing the pencil need not shift it in his hand, but merely tips it somewhat more toward the writing surface as shown in Figure 1A. At tle same time the tapper 9 is pressed upon an object, the writing surface for instance, this moves the tapper bar upwardly in the barrel, thus releasing balls |3 from their frictional grip with bar 2| and allowing such bar to propel the lead downwardly. This movement of the tapper bar also releases the tooth I6 from engagement with the lead as heretofore explained. By reason of the inclination of the pencil the lead can emerge but a short distance until it is stopped by the writing surface or the object engaged by the tapper 9. The operation just described is a. mere tipping and pressing movement of the hand holding the pencil and takes but a moment of time and ensuring but a slight interruption in writing.

Having described my invention, I claim- 1. In a magazine pencil, the combination of a barrel terminating in a writing point, a tapper rod coaxial with the barrel having a portion projecting from the point and having a longitudinal passage for carrying a lead, a release rod coaxial with the barrel and having a portion projecting from the upper end of the barrel and having a passage at one end, a propelling bar operating in both passages, means urging the bar downward, gripping members carried by the release rod resisting an upward movement of the propelling bar releasable upon downward movement of such release rod, and gripping means resisting downward movement of the propelling bar releasable by moving of the tapper rod inwardly.

2. In a magazine pencil, the combination of a barrel having a pointed lower end, a tapper rod having Va lead passage slidably mounted in the lower end of the barrel, a spring urged propelling rod projecting into the upper end of the lead passage, a grip holding the propelling rod against propulsive movement releasable by moving the tapper rod upwardly, a release rod operable through the upper end of the barrel, and a grip holding the propelling rod against repulsive movement releasable by moving the release rod downwardly.

3. In a magazine pencil, the combination of a barrel having a pointed lower end, a tapper rod movably mounted in the lower portion of the barrel and projecting from the point and having -a passage for lead, a. release rod movable within the upper portion of the barrel and projecting from the top thereof, a spring urged propelling rod seated in the upper end of the tapper rod and the lower end of the release rod, spring means between the release rod and the tapper rod urging them in opposite directions, ball seats in the upper end of the tapper rod, balls in the seats, cam means engaged by the balls and causing them to grip and secure the propelling rod against propulsive movement and releasable when said tapper rod is moved against said spring means, ball seats in the lower end of the release rod, balls in the latter seats, and cam means engaged by the latter balls and causing them to grip and secure the propelling rod against repulsive movement and releasable when the release rod is moved against said spring means.

JAMES A. VAN NORSDALL. 

